Future of Autopilot Cars in India

BY Vivan Mittal

Autopilot cars have conquered the world in a brief time. Especially in the North American and South American countries.  An autopilot car is a car that is capable of operating with reduced or no human input. Self-driving cars are fully responsible for all driving activities, such as scanning the environment, monitoring driving systems, and fully controlling the vehicle.  Other benefits include smart parking decisions like self-parking capabilities in less expensive zones and independence and mobility, avoiding human-driven physical limitations, driving in unfamiliar roads, night-time driving, poor weather like slippery conditions, and heavy traffic. Furthermore, for those incapable of driving due to age or disabilities or without access to conventional methods of public transportation, self-driving taxis and other transit vehicles are seen as a way to provide mobility to get to work  

On the other hand, according to an article by Kisling, Nestico & Redick, LLC, approximately 400 crashes of vehicles with partially automated driver-assist systems, to  273 of which 400 involved Tesla (the most common vehicle with self-driving capability), 70% of which used the Autopilot beta at the time. Out of the 98 self-driving crashes with injuries, 11 resulted in serious injuries. Five incidents involving Tesla vehicles were fatal. 

Moreover,  Self-driving cars are now a reality in certain areas of the world, but they are still in their infancy in India. In India, only a few prototypes and demonstration projects are currently in operation, although several businesses are actively researching and developing self-driving car technology. Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras are among the Indian corporations working on self-driving automobile technology. With some of the country’s major automobile companies working towards developing this technology, the future of autonomous vehicles in India looks bright. This looks like fantastic news conspiring the craze that has been driven towards technology lately. A recent startup from Bhopal has amazed everyone with its invention. Even Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, noticed. He shared a video of a Bolero SUV from the startup, fitted with self-driving technology. The SUV smoothly navigates busy streets without anyone steering the wheel. The Mahindra Bolero showcased adaptive autonomy by slowing and pausing near a speed breaker, aligning itself with the selected toll gate, and adhering to driving rules and speed limits. According to news 18, Anand Mahindra said his startup is a competitor to Elon Musk’s Tesla. While most experts, including Tesla, say that fully autonomous cars are still 10 years away, including Tesla, Sharma said that with funding and resources, his startup can achieve this goal soon.  This marks a significant leap in the realm of self-driving technology, especially for India. More importantly, what foreign car developers couldn’t do, this extraordinary Bolero has done. It has the ability to adapt to unexpected obstacles, such as a broken traffic police barricade, Which are visible in countries like India , this can also mark a jump for countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, where traffic rules are not correctly adhered to. Noteworthy abilities included randomly parked trucks, a common sight in toll-plaza areas, and the vehicle’s seamless decision-making in choosing toll gate passages while avoiding overtaking vehicles. Another fascinating autopilot car is from the company Waymo. It operates a rob taxi service in San Francisco and Metro Phoenix and is ramping up in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. Such significant growth in technology is mind-blowing. Many in India and lots in its neighboring countries can only imagine this, but after this marvellous discovery, this is a huge step forward. 

In conclusion, while the future of driverless cars is still in the early stages of development in India, they have the potential to bring about significant changes in the way we think about transportation.  Many companies will offer innovative financing solutions for companies and individuals looking to fund self-driving car purchases. I strongly believe that there is a very bright and strong future for autopilot cars in India. The invention from Mahindra, promising research on autopilot from tata and more startups from around India is a very cleare sigh on what is about opt come. According to research by Tracxn, there are 30 autonomous vehicle startups in India, which include KPIT, Minus Zero, Swagat Robots, Playment, and AutoNet Automation. 

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11. https://waymo.com